Biomedical subjects
G Heresi
Publications and source records attributed to G Heresi.
Effect of supplementation with an iron-fortified milk on incidence of diarrhea and respiratory infection in urban-resident infants.
To address the hypothesis that increased infectious morbidity is associated with iron supplementation, 783 randomly selected infants were provided with a powdered full fat cow's milk (non-fortified group) and 872 with a powdered acidified full fat cow's milk fortified with 15 mg of iron as ferrous sulfate (fortified group). All infants were followed from birth to 15 months of age with a monthly home visit by a nurse who recorded morbidity occurring during the previous 30 days. At 9 months of age, 15% of infants in each cohort were receiving breast milk only; data for these infants were segregated to make the third group. Episodes (mean +/- SD) of diarrhea/infant/year were 1.06 +/- 1.29, 1.14 +/- 1.37, and 0.82 +/- 1.04 for the fortified, non-fortified and breast-fed groups, respectively; the fortified and non-fortified bottle-fed groups had a very similar incidence of respiratory illness; 2.66 +/- 2.07 and 2.74 +/- 2.24 episodes/infant/year, respectively. The incidence of respiratory illness for both bottle-fed groups was significantly higher than that for the breast-fed group (2.22 +/- 1.84 respiratory episodes/infant/year). We conclude that for the infants the tested form of iron fortified milk, which is sufficient to lower iron deficiency anemia, does not result in an increased incidence of diarrhea or respiratory illness.
Familial alloimmune neutropenia of NA-2 specificity.
Three siblings with alloimmune neonatal neutropenia are presented. An immunoglobulin G (IgG) antineutrophil antibody specific for NA-2 antigen was demonstrated in maternal serum and in both of the three affected infants who were studied as neonates. The mother's neutrophils were negative for NA-2 antigen. The father and all four children, including the three known to be affected, had neutrophils that expressed NA-2 antigen. One patient studied sequentially demonstrated an inverse relationship between the antineutrophil antibody titer and the absolute neutrophil count. Exchange transfusions did not appear to benefit two of the infants.
Haemoglobin fortified cereal: a source of available iron to breast-fed infants.
We tested in the field an extruded rice flour, fortified with a bovine haemoglobin concentrate (Fe:14 mg/100 g of powder). This cereal has a high iron bioavailability, good protein quality and amino acid score. Healthy, term breast-fed infants were prospectively studied. One group (n = 92) received the fortified cereal (from 4 to 12 months of age). As control, 96 infants received regular solid foods (cooked vegetables and meat) from age 4 months. At the end of the field trial, a subsample of infants in both groups was supplemented with 45 mg Fe during 90 d. Iron nutrition status was determined at 9, 12 and 15 months. At 12 months, iron deficiency anaemia was present in 17 per cent of controls, in 10 per cent of fortified infants as a whole, but only in 6 per cent of the babies who consumed over 30 g of cereal/d. In addition, this latter group did not show any significant changes in iron nutrition status after the supplementation trial. Results demonstrate that the consumption of a haemoglobin fortified cereal is effective in markedly reducing the incidence of iron deficiency in breast-fed infants.
[Iron-deficiency anemia in the nursing infant: its elimination with iron-fortified milk].
We evaluated the effect of iron-supplemented milk on 86 healthy infants who were followed from 3 to 12 months of age. Whole milk was supplemented with 15 mg elementary iron as ferrous sulphate and 100 mg ascorbic acid per 100 g powder. 104 infants received the same milk with no supplement and served as control. All iron nutritional parameters were higher in the supplemented group at 9 and 12 months of treatment (p < 0.01). Iron-deficiency anemia was shown in 34% of the control as compared to 0% of the treatment group. The product exhibited excellent tolerance and could therefore be used to eradicate iron-deficiency anemia of the infant.
Controlled trial of zinc supplementation during recovery from malnutrition: effects on growth and immune function.
To evaluate the effect of zinc on growth and immune function, 32 marasmic infants were selected on admission to the nutrition recovery center; 16 received 2 mg/kg daily of elemental zinc supplement as acetate and the remaining received a placebo. Immunity was assessed by skin-test response, T-cell blastic proliferation immunoglobulins, and infectious morbidity. Weight-for-length gain for initial 60 days in Zn-supplemented group was 9% of standard vs 3% for placebo (p less than 0.05). Energy intake was similar in both groups. Incidence of infections, especially pyoderma, was significantly higher in placebo group: 10 of 16 vs 3 of 16 in the supplemented group (p less than 0.025). Plasma Zn was correlated with number of febrile days in the prospective month (r = -0.66, p less than 0.05). The percent anergic infants decreased and serum IgA increased significantly only in Zn-supplemented group. Zinc supplementation has significant effects on weight gain and host defense mechanisms despite normal plasma levels. Zinc supplementation is recommended for optimal recovery from marasmus.
Double-blind controlled crossover trial of 4% intranasal sodium cromoglycate solution in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
In a double-blind, controlled, crossover study involving 47 subjects documented with seasonal allergic rhinitis, repeated intranasal administration of 4% sodium cromoglycate solution was associated with significant reduction in symptoms and decrease in consumption of antihistaminic drugs. Side effects were mild and transitory. It is concluded that intranasal sodium cromoglycate administration is an efficacious preventive and therapeutic approach in the management of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Serum thymic hormone activity in genetically-obese mice.
1. Serum thymic hormone was assayed in genetically-obese (C57B1/6J ob/ob) mice and lean controls (+/+, +/-) of the same strain. 2. The thymic hormone activity was higher in the majority of the obese animals compared with non-obese mice. 3. The number of antibody-forming cells in the spleen expressed as a proportion of the total mononuclear cells was increased in the obese mice. 4. It is suggested that obesity is associated with significant changes in the thymic hormone levels which may alter the relative proportion of lymphocyte subsets and cell-mediated immunity.
Impact of nutrition on host defense.
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Effects of severe calorie restriction on thymic factor activity and lymphocyte stimulation response in rats.
The thymic factor (TF) activity and lymphocyte stimulation response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was studied in calorie-restricted rats. Sprague-Dawley rats (28 days old) were fed a calorie-restricted diet (30% of the average food intake of control) for 4 weeks. The control group was allowed food ad libitum. After this period the body weight was 232.9 +/- 41.8 g for control rats and 66.1 +/- 4.5 g for the calorie-restricted group. The mean thymus weight was 0.699 +/- 0.153 g and 0.099 +/- 0.030 g for the control and experimental groups respectively. The TF activity was makedly reduced in the calorie-restricted group compared with the control. There was an overlap between lymphocyte stimulation responses of the two groups; however, the mean number of counts per minute (cpm) of stimulated cultures with PHA was lower and the mean cpm of unstimulated cultures without PHA was higher in the starved animals. Thus, the stimulation index was significantly lower in the deprived rats. It is suggested that deficiency of thymic inductive factors may be important in the pathogenesis of impaired cell-mediated immunity in nutritional deficiency states.
Serum thymic factor activity in deficiencies of calories, zinc, vitamin A and pyridoxine.
Cell-mediated immunity is invariably impaired in protein-energy malnutrition. The effect of selected nutrient deficiencies on serum thymic factor activity was assessed in deprived rats and pair-fed controls. Deficits of calories, zinc or pyridoxine resulted in significant lowering of serum thymic factor activity whereas vitamin A deficiency did not have any effect. It is suggested that variants nutrients modulate different steps of cell-mediated immunity and that reduced thymic hormone activity may be the underlying mechanism of imparied immunity in some but not all nutritional deficiencies.
Cell-mediated immune responses in zinc-deficient animals.
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In defence of the lung.
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[Comparison of the morbidity registered at outpatient clinics and in the field. Prospective study in infants].
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[Nutrition evaluation of the hospitalized pediatric patient].
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